Banjo mute



Amig. 18, 1931. -A c. wfPlERsoN ET AL BANJO MUTE Filed April 4, 1930 L 1 a a v. III/III Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UMTED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES W. rIERsoN, oF BEVERLY HILLS, AND cEoIL Y. FITZGERALD AND GEORGE E. THOMAE, OF Los ANGELES,y CALIFORNIA, AssIGNoRs OF ONE-FOURTH To ROBERT A, I). FEARsoN, OFLos ANGELES, CALIFORNIA l f f 1 BANJO MUTE Application1 `led. April 4,

f This invention relates to a mute attachkment for "a banjo which is adapted to mutethe toneof the instrument simply by changing the position thereof and without 5 it being necessary 'for the musician to alter the position of his hands while playing the instrument.y f y, y

Our Patent No. 1,780,361, granted November 4,' 1930, specifies and claims, one form of construction for a banjo mute o'f this character.' The present invention pertains to another construction of a banjo mute of a generally similar character.

The construction' described and claimed by the present application, in addition to the` 'objects andadvantages of the banjo mute of said patent, possesses the advantage of being composed of ay fewer number of parts and of being soV constructed that it can bemore Z 2,0 readily stamped out by means of dies and canbe very quickly and easilyv assembled.

Other objects, advantages and featuresv of invention may hereinafter appear. I

` yReferring to the accompanying drawmgs ywhich'illustrate what is at present deemed to be apreferred embodiment"4 of the invention,

` Fig. 1- is an end elevation of the working parts of the device, the position of the membrane or head of the banjo wherein the device f ,is mounted being indicated by dotted lines.

4o :i Fig. 6 is asection on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Referring in detail yto the drawings, the device comprises a base 7, preferably a rectangular plate, which is supported within v the banjo drumfSveither by means of the well 45 known stay rod or'y fstick 9 which extends plate 7, in which position a space is provided j 1930. 'serial No. 441,628.

through the banjo drum D, or by means of a l pair ofrods 10, the position of one of which shown in the drawings, is provided with a diametrically reduced threaded end portion 18a which screws through a threaded holey in one Of the flanges 17, the body portion 18o of said screw abutting against the lower side of the other flange 17.

The uppermost clamping member 15` is provided with an upwardly projecting screwthreaded stud 20 which is formed integral therewith. `Said stud 20 projects upwardly through a transverse slot 21 yprovided in .the base plate 7. VAn internally threaded sleeve 23 provided at itsupp-er end with a thumb nut 24is screwed-on to saidstud. This ar- ,rangementy makes is possible'vto shifttheV clampingmembers 15and 16 tothe right from the position shown in Fig. 3 until they are located at the mid-width vof the base between each'y of the kflanges 17 y,of the mem,-

vber 15 and the'bottom ofthe base plate7 wherein to clamp the bars 10 when said'bars are used.l WhenV the thumb nut 24 is so ro.- tated as to unscrewfthe sleeve 23 from the stud 20 the member 15 may beV dropped to a lower `position than that shown in Fig. 3, whereupon one of the bars 10 may be inserted at each side thereof abovefthe flanges .17, and then the device may be clamped upon said bars by tightening the thumb nut 24. When so used the channel member 16 can beeliminated.

Supported by saidbase plate 7 at one side thereof is the pendulum 27, and supported by xiii said base plate at the other side thereof is the mute proper Q8 which, in the present einbodiment of the invention, is preferably approximately elliptical. There is an operative connection between said pendulum 27 and said mute QS, said connection being shown as including an actuating arm 30 with which cooperates a companion arm or lever 3l. Said arm 30 is pivoted between its ends by a pivot screw v30s to an upstanding fiange 7 c with which the base plate 7 is provided at one end. j

The Ymute proper 28 is shown having se'- eured to the back side thereof 'an attaching member 32 which is T-shaped in cross section and which has at each side a base iiange 33 which is attached by screws 34 or otherwise to t-lie mute proper. The voiitstanding portion of said member 32 has pivoted thereto, by thepivot screw 35, the adjacent end of the lever 30, the distance between the pivot screws 35 and 30s being less than the dis 'tance between said screw 30s and the pivotal 'connection at the other end of said lever 30,

which will next be described.

The connection for said lever 30 comprises an upwardly extending rod 37 the lower end of which is, by means of a clip 3S and pivot screw 39, p'ivotally connected with the -p`enduluin '27. Said clip 3S has at its upper end a laterally extending apertured ear 386i through which the lowerheaded end of the 'rod or bolt 37 extends.

Ahead or clip 40 `is provided with an eye through which the bolt 37 extends. Said head 40 has an extension 4l whereby it is secured, by means ofa screw 42, to the adjacent end ofthe aforementioned lever 30. Said screw '42 not only is a clamping screw to secure saidA head tosaid lever 30, but also operates as a pivot point about which said head Vmay be adjusted 'to the desired position with respect 'to Vlever 30 and then be clamped rigidly to 'said lever. The use of said head 40 land its attaching screw 42 renders this part ofthe device replaceable when necessary.

Between said head 40 and the forementioiied clip 38 tliebolt37 is provided with a compression spring 45, said bolt also being provided with, and extending through, an ,upper follower 4G kand a'lower follower 47. Said 'followers'46 and 47 are each so shaped as to forni seats around which the adjacent 'ends of the spring 45 are coiled, as will be understood from Figj. The outer ends Vof each of these followers are convex, thus forming a limited universal oint connection near each'end of the bolt 37, it being understood that the openings through the ear 38@ and through the head 40 ai'eeach large enough to permit a limited universal swingingof said bolt. A thumb nut 48 screwed on to the upper end of the bolt 37 Acompletes the connection between the pendulum. 27 and the adjacent end of the lever 30. The compression 'during the operation of thev device.

spring holds the followers 46 and 47 in the proper operative position.

The arm 3l which cooperates with arm .30 is also operatively related both to the pendulum and to the mute proper 2S. In a general way said arm 3l may be said to extend in parallelisni with its companion arm 30. Ohne end of arm 3l is pivoted to the upstanding iiange 7a of the base plate by means of a pivot screw 56, and the other end of said arm 3l is pivotally related to the mute proper by means of the pivot screw 57 screwed into the iiiember'32 carried by said mute proper.

It will be observed that thedistance between thek pivot screws 56 'and 57 of the arm 3l is greater than the distance between the supporting pivot 308 of the arin 3() and the pivot35 whereby said arm 3() is connected with t-lie mute proper. The result of this construction is that when the operating arm 30 is oscillated by the pendulum 27the upper portion of the mute proper 28 will be moved farther toward and from the banjo inembiane, indicated at 60, than will the lower portion of said mute proper.

These levers are so adjusted with relation to the imite proper that when contact is made with the banjo member the mute will squarely `abut against said banjo inemb "ane, but when the kmute is withdrawn fiom the menibra'ne, the top of the mute will be farthest from the membrane.

The arm 30 is provided with a foot poition 30j' at the end thereof which is pivotcd to the mute proper. The pivot screw 35 extends through said foot portion between its toe t and heel i, thus positioning said toe land'heel to act as stops when they engage the adjacent face ofthe mute proper 28.

Referring now to certain details with regard to th'e construction of the peiidulumj27,

said pendulum is shown as consisting of a lplate of a` generally tri-angular sha-pe piorio weicht G5 is to iei'niitsaid weight to be adjusted to a point where it will not come in contact ,with'the supporting rod or stay 9 When the device is mounted upon the pair of rods l0 which may be used instead of the stay or rod 9,v the pendulum weight 65' may beso adj usted as to pass between'said rods.

AThe face of the mute proper 'Q8 isprefer- :ably covered witha rubber llayer 70 whichris secured theretoiinany suitable manner. the outer side of said rubber layer 70 may be izo f strument in banjo member 60 brane.

adhered or otherwise secured a felt coat 7l thereby providing a surface which may repeatedly be brought into Contact with the without injuring said mem-r In Figs. 3 and 5 the channel iron members 15y and 16 are shown provided with an inner facing 7 3 which adapts them to be forcibly clamped down upon the stay rod 9 without marring said rod.

By oscillating the banjo while it is being played and at the same time is being held in such ak position that the mute proper is only in approximate contact with the banjo membrane, a relative oscillation is produced between the pendulum and the parts operatively connected therewith, thus causing the mute proper to repeatedly engage and disengage the banjo membrane thereby producing a vibrato tone effect.

When the player desires to maintain the banjo in as nearly aI vertical position as possible, he will screwdown the nut 48 upon the bolt 37 against the opposition of the spring 45, which will so regulate the position of the pendulum that it will operate the mute proper asfdesired even though the banjo be konly slightly moved toward the horizontal position. When the said nut 48 is loosened the adjustment of the kpendulum becomes such as to permit the player to hold lthe ina` more nearly horizontal position. f

Claims: e l. In combination with the head and membrane of abanjo, a mute, means to support said mute within said head in an operative relation to said membrane, a pendulum, means pivotally connecting said pendulum to said head, and means operatively connected with said pendulum to operate said mute, said last recited means comprising a pair of armsy which extend in a general parallel direction with relation to each other and both of which are pivotally related to said mute.

2. A banjo mutey of the character described comprising a pendulum, a mute proper, an operating arm pivotally related both tosaid 50' mute proper and to said pendulum, means for pivotally supporting said operating arm between rits ends, rand a companion operating arm which is provided with a fixed pivot at one end and which has its other end pivotally connected with said mute proper, and means to operatively support the aforementioned parts within the head of the banjo.

3. A banjo mute of the character described comprising a pendulum, a mute proper, an operating arm pivotally related both to said mute proper and to said pendulum, means for pivotallyr supporting said operating arm between its ends, and a companion operating arm which is provided with a fixed pivot at one end and which has its other end pivotally connected with said mute proper, the distance between the pivotal mounting yof, the first named operating arm and its plvotal connecbination with the stay rod of `a banjo, of a :mute proper, a pendulum, a support, an operating connection between said pendulum and mute proper mounted upon said support, means for securing said support to said stay rod,fa`nda pendulum weight' mounted upon said pendulum, said pendulum weight being adjusted with relation to said pendulum and in a direc-tion which extends transversely with relation to they plane occupied by said stay rod.

5. In a banjo mute construction, a support, a lever or rod pivotally secured between its ends to said support, a pendulum pivotally mounted upon said support, a mute proper carried by one end portion of said arm, and a universal joint connection between the other end of said arm and said pendulum, said joint connection comprising a rod the end portions of which extend through apertured connections, and a compression spring occupying the portion of said rod intermediate of said connections.

6. A banjo mute of the character described comprising a pendulum, a mute proper, an

operating arm pivotally related both to saidl roo related to said mute proper the toe portion e.

of said foot contacting with said mute proper to limit the movement of said arm in one direction and the heel portion of said foot contacting with said mute proper to limit the movement of said arm in the opposite direction.

7. A banjo mute of the character described, comprising a support adapted for mounting within a banjo head, an operating arm pivotally mounted between its ends upon said support, a mute proper operatively connected with one end of said operating arm, and a pendulum operatively connected with the other end of said operating arm, the operating connection between said pendulum and operating arm comprising a threaded lrod, a compression spring around said threaded rod, rand an adjustable nut on said threaded rod, the adjustment of said nut adjusting the length of the connection of which it forms a part and thereby determining the position in which the banjo must be held to cause the mute proper to perform its function. l

aims@ 8. A banjo mute of the character `described comprising a, pendulum, a mute proper, an operating arm' ,pivotally related 0th to said mute proper and tosaid pendw lum, means for pivotally 'supporting said operating arm between its ends, said operating arm having 'a stop portion at the end thereof which is pivotally related to 'said mute proper to limit the movements `ofsaicl mute proper.

In testimony whereof We hereunto aix our signatures.

GEORGE E. THOM'AE. CEGIL Y. FITZGERALD. 'CHARLES W. PIERSON. 

